Friday’s officer-involved shooting of 19-year-old Tony Robinson brought out community members of all ages, who converged in a protest Monday to address officials from university, state and city levels.
UW-Madison students Deshawn McKinney, Natasha Thimmesch and Teresa Baymon created a Facebook page Sunday evening to spread word of the event and encourage student involvement.
“Honestly, the silence of people who are not here hurts, because that silence is the amount of pressure that Tony can’t be here,” Thimmesch said. “He can’t speak so their silence is weighing down, so we need to speak up for him.”
The day began with a rally outside Bascom Hall, where students read poetry and Vice Provost for Student Life and Dean of Students Lori Berquam spoke with protesters about the importance of community.
“We want to make sure that we’re reaching out to [those who have been impacted] and that they know what they feel is real, and that it’s okay to be where they are and feel what they do,” Berquam said. “Our students really want this to be powerfully peaceful and a show of solidarity with the other high schools and grade schools in the area.”
Around 11 a.m. protesters marched down State Street to the Capitol to meet Madison elementary, middle and high school students.
Under the direction of Young, Gifted and Black Coalition leader Brandi Grayson, adults formed a perimeter around the first floor rotunda, linking arms before students entered. All floors of the rotunda were filled when students from Madison East High School arrived to protest just after noon.
Protesters chanting "am I next?" pic.twitter.com/ERcwfIqLPo
— Andrew Hahn (@ndrewhahn) March 9, 2015
According to the Department of Administration, the group reached 1,500 participants before leaving the Capitol at 1 p.m. They marched to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard outside of the City-County Building. Madison Police officers followed the group from the Capitol, protecting the protesters from traffic.
UW-Madison junior Egal Warsame said he felt more deeply affected by the shooting than previous ones that have occurred around the country.
“It is much different when it’s on your own doorstep this time. This is in our backyard. This is in front of us. I felt like it’d be wrong for me to protest if it was for Ferguson and not for here in Madison,” he said.
At 1:40 p.m. Mayor Paul Soglin, addressing the crowd, referenced the “death of Anthony Robinson,” and audience members responded by calling the shooting “murder.” Robinson’s family, along with a group of protesters, followed the mayor into the building, asking him about the shooting.
“We are not going to have a conversation in the hallway,” Soglin told the family before leaving.
Robinson's family attempts talking to Soglin, his response "We are not going to have a conversation in the hallway." pic.twitter.com/xlSMRRAkaZ
— Miller Jozwiak (@jozwiakmiller) March 9, 2015
Grayson said YGB was there to support the students in putting “pressure on the governor to be accountable for the disparities and the death of Tony Robinson.” She added she found the mayor’s address irrelevant.
“The mayor came out for a second and gave a very–I’m not even sure of the correct word–irrelevant statement that did not connect with the students... did not connect to their pain,” she said.
By 2:30 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was covered with chalk messages and devoid of protesters.
Protesters returned and crowded the room for a Police and Fire Commission meeting at 5:15 p.m., continuing pressure on city hall officials and asking MPD to fire Officer Matt Kenny.
“We are here in hopes that you will hear the cries and the hearts of the young people and the mothers and the people of this community,” Grayson said. “No matter what the investigation says, that man has to be fired.”
Laura Pasqualone contributed to this report.
